SWC chair lauds services of Dharwad District Hospital

Dharwad: Karnataka State Women’s Commission chairperson Nagalakshmi Choudhari lauded the services at Dharwad District Hospital, stating that positive feedback from patients and attendants reflected the commitment of doctors and healthcare staff towards public service.

Speaking to reporters after visiting the district hospital and the mother-and-child hospital in Dharwad on Monday, she said that unlike the complaints often heard about govt hospitals, many patients from rural areas had expressed satisfaction with the treatment, staff response, and availability of medicines.

During her inspection, Choudhari interacted with patients, attendants, and healthcare workers to assess the quality of treatment and facilities provided. She particularly reviewed the maternity ward and appreciated the efforts of doctors in safeguarding the lives of mothers and newborns.

She said the district hospital had conducted around 550 safe deliveries in a month and successfully handled 82 critical cases involving mothers and infants. “Protecting the lives of mothers and children is a highly responsible task, and the doctors here are carrying it out with dedication,” she said.

The chairperson also visited the Sakhi One Stop Centre at the hospital and examined records related to women and child welfare cases. She said awareness programmes about the centre and its services would be organised in the coming days.

Expressing concern over crimes against minors, Choudhari said 83 Pocso cases involving children below 18 years had been registered in the district in the past three years. Of these, 12 involved child marriage and teenage pregnancy, while 33 minor girls had become mothers following sexual assault. In 22 cases, girls had reportedly undergone abortions due to social pressure and stigma. She termed the trend “deeply disturbing” and called for collective social responsibility to prevent such incidents.

She also pointed out shortages of group D staff, nurses, doctors, and MRI scanning facilities in govt hospitals, and assured that the issues would be brought to the notice of the state govt.

Later, addressing a POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) awareness programme organised jointly by the Women’s Commission and the department of women and child development at the zilla panchayat hall, Choudhari stressed the need to ensure safe and dignified workplaces for women.

Hubballi-Dharwad police commissioner N Shashikumar, who also spoke at the programme, said all govt offices, private establishments, and industries must mandatorily implement the She-Box grievance mechanism to address complaints of sexual harassment at workplaces.